Failure to Function
by Tina101
Summary: Joanne gets horribly sick, and Maureen is forced to watch because there's nothing she can do to help.  How will they both survive?
1. Chapter 1

_Failure to Function_

**Chapter 1:**

Joanne sat on the examining table in the doctor's office. She had caught a bug from work a few weeks ago and had yet to shake it off. After much bickering, Maureen had finally convinced her to go see a doctor. The door opened and in walked a young Hispanic man with thick black hair and a goatee.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Miguel Estevez," he said. Joanne shook his hand.

"Joanne Jefferson; are you a new doctor here?"  
"Yes I am." Dr. Estevez took a seat at the cheap desk mounted to the wall. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

"I feel flu-like, but it's been going on for a few weeks. My girlfriend finally locked me out of the apartment until I promised to come here." Dr. Estevez chuckled.

"What symptoms do you have?" Joanne stopped to think.

"I feel flu-like. You know, achy, nausea, throwing up. I've also had chest pains and headaches." Dr. Estevez wrote everything down.

"Okay, I'm going to draw some blood and do a basic physical, okay?" Joanne nodded. She figured that the doctor would tell her what she already knew; she had the flu or something like that.

Joanne clung to the toilet and continued to empty her stomach. She heard the bathroom door creak open.

"Pookie?" Maureen asked sleepily. "How long have you been up?"  
"I haven't been to bed yet," Joanne confessed.

"It's two in the morning!" Maureen sat on the floor against the wall. "Come here, Pookie." Joanne flushed the toilet. Then, she settled contently between Maureen's legs and rested her head on her chest. Maureen played with her hair until they both dozed off.

Joanne was resting on the couch when the phone rang. Joanne sat up to go answer it.

"I got it," Maureen said. "You rest." Joanne curled back up on the couch and went back to watching TV. She prayed that it was the doctor on the phone. Feeling sick like this all the time was starting to get to her. After a few minutes, Maureen sat on the arm of the couch. "That was the doctor's office; they want us to come down this afternoon." Joanne nodded feebly. Her curls were strewn across her face.

"That's fine," she mumbled. Maureen waited for a few seconds before going to get herself a soda. She was really starting to worry about Joanne. Horrible thoughts of what could be wrong flooded her mind. Maureen shook her head. _Nothing_ was wrong with Joanne; Joanne was perfect.

Joanne sat on the exact same examining table as before, only this time Maureen was with her. Neither one said anything. Both were worried about why Dr. Estevez had had them rush down to the office that afternoon. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened, and Dr. Estevez entered the room. Maureen noticed what looked like a strange computer on wheels in the far corner of the room. She also noticed how handsome Dr. Estevez was.

"Hello again, Joanne," Dr. Estevez said.

"Hello," Joanne said. "This is my girlfriend, Maureen Johnson." Dr. Estevez shook Maureen's hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"Same here." Dr. Estevez turned his attention back to Joanne. Joanne felt her insides flutter. She could tell by Dr. Estevez's eyes that something was wrong with her.

"Okay, Joanne, I need to run a sonogram on you quickly," he told Joanne.

"Wait, what!?" Maureen blurted out. "Is Joanne pregnant?" Dr. Estevez laughed.

"No, a sonogram is used to see inside the body, not just to see a fetus. She's not pregnant." Maureen let out an overdramatic sigh of relief.

"Okay, good; I was about to send you back to medical school to study female anatomy." Dr. Estevez turned on the sonogram machine.

"Okay Joanne, I need you to lie down and please pull up your shirt." Joanne obliged. Dr. Estevez spread a cold gel over Joanne's flat stomach. Then, he moved the wand across her stomach. He studied the screen extremely carefully for several minutes. Letting out a defeated sigh, Dr. Estevez turned off the machine and leaned back in his chair. Both Maureen and Joanne could tell that something wasn't right.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Maureen asked quickly. Joanne remained quiet. She knew that whatever it was, it wasn't pretty. Dr. Estevez handed Joanne several paper towels.

"Why don't you clean up, then we'll talk?" he suggested.

All Joanne could force out of her mouth was, "Thank you."

Once Joanne had cleaned up and fixed her shirt, Dr. Estevez lead her and Maureen to his office so they could talk in private. This definitely wasn't a good sign. Dr. Estevez sat behind his desk while Maureen and Joanne sat across from him. Maureen entwined her fingers with Joanne's.

"Tests we ran on the blood we drew a few weeks ago show certain abnormalities," Dr. Estevez started.

"But there are medications for that, right?" Joanne asked.

"No." Dr. Estevez's response was short and final. "I'm afraid you have kidney failure."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It felt as if the floor had dropped out form under Joanne. Maureen squeezed her hand with all her might as if she was going to slip away at any given second.

"I'm terribly sorry," Dr. Estevez said.

"What can be done?" Joanne asked in a tense voice.

"Your name will be added to the national transplant list. In the mean time, you will need to see a specialist and start dialysis soon."

"How long until she's able to get a transplant?" Maureen asked.

"I'm not a specialist, but it usually takes some time. Of course, if you know of someone you _could_ be a match, it would bump you up to the top of the list."

"What do you have to do to test someone to be a match?" Maureen demanded. Joanne immediately realized what Maureen was going with this.

"Mo, you don't have to-"

"No, I'm doing this for you." Maureen fixated her determined gaze on Dr. Estevez. "What do you need to do to get me tested?"

Outside the doctor's office, on the busy street, Maureen held Joanne as close as possible. Joanne nuzzled Maureen's neck.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this," she assured.

"What do we tell everyone else?"  
"Let's wait to find out if you're a match before we tell anyone." Maureen nodded. A silent tear slid down her cheek. Without Joanne, she was lost.

Late that night, Maureen and Joanne were curled up bed together. Joanne was so into watching the news that she didn't notice Maureen's hand cautiously drift up her chest. Suddenly, Maureen grabbed Joanne's breast. Joanne nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Maureen!" she exclaimed. Maureen was simply lying in bed with her eyes closed. There was a sly smile creeping across her face. "Fine, two can play at _that_ game." With that, Joanne grabbed Maureen's ass…hard. Maureen let out a small squeak. She slid her arm around Joanne's neck.

"Night Pookie," she mumbled contently. Joanne rolled her eyes. She'd never fully understand Maureen.

Twelve o'clock midnight. The red numbers glared at Joanne as if mocking her. Joanne buried her face in Maureen's hair which was fanned out across her chest. The dam broke, and she began to cry softly. Her very own body was turning against itself. She was dying.

**A/N:** Short chapter, I know…sorry!!

Tina101


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

When Joanne got home from work, Maureen was on the couch flipping through a magazine. It was evident that she was just trying to keep herself busy.

"Honeybear, what's wrong?" Joanne asked as she put away her briefcase. Maureen stood up and rubbed at her red, slightly puffy eyes.

"The doctor called, I'm not a match. You need to go down to a specialist to talk about dialysis." Joanne wrapped her arms around Maureen. She was doing her best to stay strong. "I'm sorry, Pookie."

"None of this is your fault. We're going to get through this, okay?" Joanne rubbed Maureen's back and held her close. Her hope was starting to slip away.

Maureen was attempting to make some stir fry for dinner while Joanne dialed the number to a specialist given to her by Dr. Estevez's office.

"Hello, Dr. Connors' office," a perky receptionist chirped on the other end of the phone.

"My name is Joanne Jefferson; I was referred to Dr. Connors by Dr. Miguel Estevez."

"Do you need to make an appointment?"  
"Yes please."

"How does this Tuesday at noon sound?" Joanne flipped through her planner. She was actually free for once.

"That's fine." Joanne said goodbye to the receptionist and hung up the phone. Then, she wrote down her appointment in her planner. Maybe getting an appointment was a good sign.

That night, Joanne was trying to sleep when she felt Maureen straddle her hips and kiss her neck softly. Joanne moaned.

"I was thinking," Maureen said between kisses.

"Oh no." Maureen sat up and stuck out her tongue. "I'm sorry, baby."

"You better be. If you're not nice to me, then I won't tell you my super cool idea."

"You have a super cool idea?" Maureen nodded eagerly. "I'm waiting."

"Oh, okay. You should get a tattoo or something?"  
"A tattoo?"

"Yeah, you know, a cool tattoo or something to show off your wild side only I know about," Maureen purred. Joanne slid her hand along the inside of Maureen's thigh.

"I don't know, I may need to see yours to get some inspiration," she said slyly. A smile quickly spread across Maureen's face.

Letting out a quiet groan, Maureen rolled over. Early morning rays trickled through the window, casting the bedroom into a slightly warm, golden glow. Joanne was fast asleep next to Maureen with her back to her. Her mocha skin was flawless. Maureen longed to stroke her soft skin and hold her as close as possible, but she didn't. Joanne needed her sleep. One the outside, she was perfect, but on the inside, she was falling apart. Maureen carefully slid her arm around Joanne's waist and kissed between her shoulder blades before drifting back off to sleep.

On Tuesday, Joanne and Maureen sat together in the doctor's office, much like the week before. after this, they had the agonizing task of telling their friends that Joanne was sick. Finally, the door opened, and a man in his forties with short blonde hair came inside.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Patrick Connors," he said as he shook both Maureen and Joanne's hands.

"I'm Joanne Jefferson, and this is my girlfriend, Maureen."

"nice to meet you both." Dr. Connors took a seat at a desk next to the examining table. He began to question Joanne endlessly about her family and medical history and how she had been feeling. This process took nearly an hour. Then, Dr. Connors turned to the dreaded topic of dialysis. "We need to start you on dialysis as soon as possible."

"How soon?" Joanne asked.

"Within the next week and a half."

"That soon?" Maureen gawked.

"Based on the blood test results, yes. A nurse will come to your house and take care of the dialysis three times a week if you want." Joanne and Maureen glanced at each other. Everything was moving so fast.

"There's no way to avoid this is there?" asked Joanne.

"I'm afraid not. There's no way you'd get a transplant in time." Joanne took a deep breath.

"Just tell me when," she said sadly.

It was arranged for a nurse to come three times a week to administer the dialysis treatment to Joanne. The nurse would come around nine thirty at night, so the treatment would take place while Joanne was sleeping. Once Maureen understood how to give Joanne the dialysis, there would be no need for the nurse to come by. Joanne didn't like the thought of undergoing dialysis treatment, it made everything so final. Now, there was no denying it, Joanne had kidney failure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Joanne slid open to door to the loft. Maureen held her hand for support. Everyone else was already gathered at the loft.

"Hey you guys," Maureen said as cheerfully as she could. Collins got up and gave her and Joanne each a hug.

"I haven't heard from either of you in ages, how've you been?" Mimi asked from where she was sitting on the table. Roger was standing in front of her, and she had her legs around his waist.

"Okay," Joanne replied simply.

"You don't look so hot," Mark pointed out. Maureen and Joanne took a seat on the couch together. "Did you go see a doctor?"

"Yeah, I, uh, I have kidney failure." The loft was dead silent. Mimi got up and wrapped her arms around Joanne to comfort her.

"Oh honey, when did you find out?" she asked.

"About two weeks ago." Maureen leaned against Collins who was sitting on the other side of her.

"We wanted to see if I was a match," she explained. "I'm not." Collins rubbed Maureen's upper arm.

"Now I have to start dialysis next week; until I can get a kidney." Mimi let go of Joanne.

"You let us know if you need anything, okay?" Mark asked. Joanne nodded. She grabbed a napkin off the coffee table and wiped her teary eyes. Her friends were wonderful.

On the way home, Maureen and Joanne stopped at the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions for Joanne from Dr. Connors. While Joanne got her new medications, Maureen grabbed a chocolate bar.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked Joanne. Joanne shook her head.

"No, I'm good." Joanne paid for the part of her medications not covered by health insurance. "Come on, let's go." Maureen paid for the chocolate bar and left with Joanne.

At home, Joanne took her medicine and sat down at the table to pay the bills while Maureen went to go shower. Joanne started to feel groggy and struggled to focus on what she was working on. Maureen skipped out of the bathroom with her hair tied back in two thick braids.

"Hi Pookie!" she chirped. Maureen stopped when she saw how wiped Joanne looked. "What's wrong baby?"  
"I'm exhausted." Maureen kissed Joanne's cheek softly.

"Then go to bed." Joanne shook her head.

"I can't. I still have to do the dishes and fold the laundry." Maureen wrapped her arms around Joanne and gave her another kiss.

"You go to bed; I'll take care of everything else out here." Joanne got to her feet.

"Thanks, Honeybear. Night." Joanne gave Maureen a goodnight kiss and went straight to bed.

After Maureen did the dirty dishes piled high in the sink, she dragged the heavy basket of laundry across the floor from where she had put it after going downstairs to do the laundry in front of the television. She flipped on the television to keep herself entertained while she worked. As Maureen folded the laundry, she felt her eyes get heavy. How Joanne worked all day and came home and did this everyday was a mystery to her. It was obvious that things would have to change…and soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Maureen was lying in bed with Joanne. She could hear her girlfriend's rhythmic heartbeat. There was a knock on the front door.

"That would be the nurse," Joanne said as she climbed out of bed. Maureen got up too. She could feel her heart begin to race. She was nervous about this whole dialysis thing; it was Joanne's only hope for survival at the moment.

When Maureen went out to the front room, Joanne was shaking the hand of a tight lipped woman in her fifties with wispy red hair piled high on her head. Her beady brown eyes scanned over the apartment with a cynical stare. Maureen took an instant dislike to the woman.

"And this is my girlfriend, Maureen," Joanne said. The nurse nodded stiffly.

"My name is Nurse Judith Penn," she said in a voice as tight as her heavily colored bright red lips. Maureen forced a small, uncomfortable smile. This nurse's ice cold attitude was going to make this dialysis treatment five times harder.

As Nurse Judith hooked up the dialysis machine, Maureen sat on the bed next to Joanne and held her hand. Maureen stroked her mocha cheek softly with the back of her free hand.

"You, pay attention," Nurse Judith barked. Maureen's head snapped up. "You're going to have to know how to do this." Maureen got up and watched Nurse Judith. This woman took her job _way_ too seriously.

The dialysis took over two hours. By the time Nurse Judith left, Joanne was completely wiped. Maureen got changed and crawled into bed next to Joanne. She entwined her fingers with Joanne's and kissed the back of her hand gently. Joanne looked so peaceful and yet…so fragile. Maureen was afraid of breaking her. Joanne cracked her eyes.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too, Pookie." Maureen ran her fingers through Joanne's curly hair until they both succumbed to a deep sleep.

Joanne sat at her desk working on her latest case while waiting for her clients to show up. There were several get well cards littered across her desk and office. It was a daily occurrence for her to receive cards from her coworkers and several of her clients. A voice crackled over the speaker on Joanne's desk.

"Ms. Jefferson, your clients are here to see you."

Joanne pressed a button at the base of the small speaker and said, "Thank you, Marci. Please send them in." Joanne swept her papers off her desk and stood up. a young white couple entered her office. "Hi, I'm Joanne Jefferson."

"My name's Vincent Hudson and this is my wife, Stephanie." Joanne didn't extend her hand. She couldn't risk getting sick with her weakened immune system.

"Nice to meet you both. If you'll please have a seat." Vincent and Stephanie both took a seat across from Joanne's desk. Joanne took a long drink of water. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm sick. It's nothing you can catch though."

"Are you alright?" Stephanie asked with concern written across her face. Joanne nodded as she took a seat in her chair. She could only pray that she was telling the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Nurse Judy watched with a scrutinizing gaze as Maureen hooked up the dialysis machine. It hurt Maureen to see Joanne wince in pain as she eased the tube inside her. Nurse Judy gave Maureen a satisfied nod.

"You've got it," she said before grabbing her medical kit. Maureen spun around.

"Wait, where are you going? You can't leave!" she cried.

"I have to get clear across town to see another patient. You have my beeper number if you need anything. You'll do fine." Nurse Judy shook Joanne's hand and left.

Once Nurse Judy was gone, Maureen pulled on a white mask over her nose and mouth and crawled into bed next to Joanne. Joanne entwined her fingers with Maureen's.

"Do you need anything, Pookie?" Maureen asked. Joanne shook her head. She kissed the back of Maureen's hand softly.

"No, I'm fine. You go to bed, you look pretty tired." Maureen set a timer next to her head so she could get up and take care of Joanne in a few hours.

The timer went off, shattering Maureen's light sleep. Maureen quickly turned off the timer so it wouldn't wake Joanne. Maureen crawled out of bed and turned on the dim light next to the bed. Joanne moaned softly but remained fast asleep. Maureen's hands worked quickly to unhook the dialysis machine. Once she was done, she turned off the lights and crawled back into bed. She felt Joanne roll over and drape her arms over her waist.

Maureen was curled up on the Lazy-Boy with a magazine in front of her. Joanne was on the couch trying to get some work done. The phone rang in the kitchen.

"I'll get it," Maureen said as she leapt to her feet before Joanne even had a chance to open her mouth. Maureen rushed to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. Joanne went back to her work. A few minutes later, Maureen returned to the family room and rested her head in Joanne's lap.

"Who called?" Joanne asked as she stroked Maureen's hair.

"Mimi; she wanted to go shopping tomorrow," Maureen replied.

"Oh, that's nice of her. What time are you going?"

"I'm not."

"What? Why not?" Maureen sat up and rested her head on Joanne's shoulder. Joanne wrapped her arms around her.

"I want to be here with you." Joanne let out a sigh.

"I think that you should go. You've been here taking care of me, you deserve a break." Maureen shook her head. She only wanted to be with Joanne.

Once Maureen had hooked Joanne up to her dialysis machine, she went out to the other room. She grabbed a pad of paper and made a list of Joanne's medications that needed to be refilled. Maureen glanced at the digital clock on the microwave. It was only ten o'clock. Maureen knew that she had to stay up for a few more hours. Her days were starting to become longer and more draining; both emotionally and physically.

Two hours later, Maureen unhooked the dialysis machine. She grabbed a small glass vial and a syringe off the nightstand and filled up the syringe. Maureen gently woke Joanne up.

"Pookie, I'm giving you your shot, okay?" she asked. Joanne nodded sleepily. Maureen carefully eased the needle into Joanne's arm, marking her perfect mocha skin. Joanne winced ever so slightly. Maureen injected the medicine and tossed the unused needle into the biohazard box in the far corner. She kissed Joanne's cheek softly and went to bed herself for a few hours.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Joanne glanced at the bedroom door. It was closed, a sign that Maureen was still asleep…for the time being. Joanne picked up the phone and dialed the number to the loft.

"Hello?" Collins asked after a few rings. Good, someone had decided to pick up the phone for once.

"Hi Collins, its Joanne."

"Hey Jo, how are you feeling?" Joanne balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder and grabbed her medicine bottles.

"Okay, I was actually wondering if you could do me a favor."  
"Sure, what do you need?"  
"Maureen's been really different lately. She never goes out to do something for herself anymore. Could you please teak her to a Life Support meeting to talk to somebody?"

"Yeah, we're going to one this evening. We'll be by around five thirty to pick Mo up."  
"Thanks Collins, you're a lifesaver." Joanne said goodbye to Collins and hung up the phone. She hoped that this little trip to Life Support would help Maureen out some.

Maureen finally stumbled out of the bedroom around nine fifteen. She had permanent circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep. She bent over and gave Joanne a sweet good morning kiss.

"Come here, baby," Joanne muttered as she pulled Maureen down onto her lap. Maureen snaked her arms around her neck, and Joanne rubbed her back. "Collins will be here around five thirty." Maureen sat up.

"Why?"  
"You're going to go to Life Support with him." Joanne played with Maureen's hair, which had yet to be brushed.

"No, I can't! I have to be here to take care of you. What if-" Joanne put her two fingers over Maureen's lips.

"Mo, Honeybear, I'm twenty-eight years old; I think I can take care of myself."  
"But you're sick!" Maureen blurt out without really thinking.

"I'll be fine," Joanne insisted. "I really think that this will be good for you." Maureen shook her head.

"I can't."

"You can, and you will! Collins will be here around five thirty, and you're going." Maureen closed her mouth. As much as she didn't want to go, she didn't want to argue with Joanne even more.

At exactly five thirty, Collins and Mark arrived at Maureen and Joanne's apartment. Maureen was still trying to talk her way out of going.

"What if you need something?" she asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Roger and Mimi will be home," Mark assured.

"Come on, Mo, let's go," Collins said. Joanne gave Maureen a goodbye kiss.

"Love you, see you in a few hours," she said. Maureen reluctantly grabbed her purse and left with Collins and Mark.

Maureen wasn't happy to be at Life Support, and that was evident. She sat in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Paul asked Maureen. Maureen looked up.

"Huh?"

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Paul repeated. Maureen shook her head.

"No, I'm good." Collins nudged Maureen with his foot. Maureen let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, okay, fine. My girlfriend's sick." Mark focused his camera on Maureen. She was starting to open up.

"Sick with what?"  
"She has kidney failure, okay?" Maureen exclaimed. "She's sick, and it's my entire fault!"

"How is it your fault?" Paul asked calmly.

"I'm not a match to her, so she has to go through dialysis three times a week."

"You can't help that you're not a match. Are you doing anything else to help your girlfriend?" Maureen nodded.

"Yeah, uh, I'm taking care of her as much as possible at home."  
"Are you helping because you feel bad about not being a match or because she's your girlfriend?" Maureen shrugged.

"I don't know." Maureen closed back up inside herself. She didn't like being here; nobody understood her and what she was going through.

On the subway ride home, the three Bohemians were silent. Maureen curled up against Collins and closed her eyes. Collins rubbed her upper arm. Mark simply stared at the discolored carpet in front of him. Maureen's breakdown at Life Support had inspired him. It was high time that he stepped up to help Joanne.

When Maureen got home from Life Support, Joanne had just finished doing the dirty dished piled up in the sink. Maureen put her purse on the table and sat on the edge of the table.

"How was the meeting?" Joanne asked. Maureen grunted. Joanne went over and wrapped her arms around Maureen. "What's wrong baby?"  
"I'm scared," Maureen confessed. "I'm scared for you. If, if you don't get better, I don't know what I'll do." Joanne brushed Maureen's hair out of her face. "Aren't you scared?"  
"Of course I am. I'm twenty-eight and dying. I've been trying to look at all the good things that have happened. I met the love of my life and some of the most amazing friends a woman could ask for."

"It's not fair though! You're only twenty-eight!"

"Angel was twenty-three," Joanne pointed out. Maureen fell silent. Joanne continued to play with her hair. "Maureen, we both need to be strong. If I don't get better, I need to know that you can get along fine without me." Maureen shook her head. Her face was red and blotchy.

"I don't want to; I want to be with you." Joanne held Maureen close and stroked her hair.

"I know, I know, Honeybear." Joanne held Maureen until they both finally managed to calm down.

Maureen and Joanne were curled up on the couch together when there was a knock on the front door. Joanne got it. Maureen's powerful grip over her had loosened some since their talk two weeks earlier.

"Hey Mark," Joanne said brightly. Maureen stretched out across the couch before standing up.

"Hey Maureen." Maureen gave Mark a hug. "How are you guys?"  
"Pretty good," Joanne replied. "What can we do for you?" Maureen snaked her arms around Joanne's waist from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"I stopped by your doctor's office about two weeks ago to get tested."

"Tested for what?" Maureen asked.

"To see if I was a match to Joanne. Here are the results; I haven't looked at them yet, I wanted to be with you guys." Mark handed Joanne the piece of paper. With shaking hands, she unfolded it. Her whole life depended on what was written on this single piece of paper.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"You know, Mark, you don't have to do this," Joanne told Mark. Mark looked surprised.

"Wait, I'm a match?" he asked. Joanne nodded. "I _want_ to help." Joanne slipped out of Maureen's arms and gave Mark a huge hug.

"Thank you _so_ much, Mark," she said quietly. Mark returned the hug. "I can't thank you enough."  
"I only want to help." When Joanne finally released Mark, Maureen gave him a grateful hug. She had been uncharacteristically silent. Mark rubbed her back. "Are you okay?" Maureen nodded. Mark, her Mark, was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Joanne.

Everything after that afternoon moved at warp speed. Mark was added to Maureen and Joanne's health insurance to help him take care of the bills. There were countless meetings, more than Maureen had ever expected. She felt completely useless at these meetings. Mark was providing Joanne with what she couldn't. That tore Maureen up on the inside every time they went to another doctor appointment. All she could do was provide support when she was needed.

Finally, a surgery date was set for in two weeks. Now, Mark and Joanne had to inform everyone else on what was going on. A small get together was planned at the loft. Joanne was curled up on the couch with Maureen's arms around her.

"So, what's up with this little meeting?" Roger asked rather bluntly. Mimi elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow!" Roger pulled Mimi off the arm of the chair and onto his lap. Mimi squirmed, but Roger refused to let her go. Mimi finally gave up and nestled against his chest comfortably.

"We've set a date for the transplant," Joanne started. "It's in exactly two weeks, the surgeon had an opening."

"That's great sweetie!" Mimi gushed. Roger turned his attention to Mark.

"So you're really going to do this?" he asked. Mark nodded.

"Yeah, I'm really going to do this." Roger kept his mouth shut. It was obvious that something was bothering him.

once everyone was gone, Roger was still in one of his moods. Mimi pulled him onto the bed next to her. he settled his head on her chest.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asked as she played with his hair.

"Nothing," Roger replied bitterly. Mimi sighed.

"Roger Davis, don't you _dare_ pull this tough guy bullshit and block me out!"

"I'm not!" Mimi sat up abruptly, causing Roger to fall back on the bed. "God Mimi, what the hell's your problem!?"  
"You are my problem! All I want is for you to talk to me."  
"Fine, I don't see why Mark has to go through with this. Things could go wrong; he could _die_."

"Joanne _will_ die if she doesn't get this transplant. Don't worry, everything will be alright." Mimi kissed Roger tenderly and lay back down in his arms. In truth, she was a little skeptical too.

**A/N:** Sorry about the chapter being so short!!

Tina101


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Maureen wrapped her arms around Joanne and held her as close as possible. Their naked bodies were pressed together. It was as if they were one being. Neither one wanted the moment to end. Tomorrow, Joanne was having life saving surgery. Maureen ran her fingers up and down Joanne's smooth back as if needing proof that she was actually there. Joanne nuzzled Maureen's neck, leaving small, loving kisses in her wake. Maureen moaned contently. Joanne felt the vibrations and stopped.

"I love you, Maureen, no matter what happens," she murmured.

"Don't talk like that, you're going to be fine," Maureen insisted. Not only did Joanne need to hear those words, but Maureen did too.

Mark sat at the kitchen table flipping through the Village Voice. Roger stumbled out of his and Mimi's bedroom, fully dressed.

"You _do_ realize that it's six thirty in the morning, right?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, I'm going with you to the hospital," Roger replied as he made himself a cup of coffee. "You want some?"

"Can't have anything before the surgery." Roger flopped down in the seat across from Mark.

"That sucks." Mark shrugged.

"It's worth it in the end." Roger took a sip of his coffee. It was obvious that something was bothering him. "Okay, what's wrong?"  
"I don't see why you're doing this. I mean, you're giving Joanne your _kidney_. Don't you need both of yours?" Mark shook his head.

"People have two kidneys, one is a backup. Both of Joanne's aren't working right. By giving her one of mine, we'll both have one fully-functional kidney."

"You're giving Joanne a part of you. This woman stole your girlfriend for God's sake!"

"I can't believe you! I don't blame Joanne at all for Maureen dumping me, _and_ I'm completely over that; you should be too. One of my best friends is sick, and I hold the key to helping her get better."

"I'm sick too, Mark," Roger said quietly. Mark opened and closed his mouth several times. Roger stood up. "Whatever. Let me tell Mimi that we're going." Mark cleaned up a little. Roger's words rang in his ears.

Mimi was curled up in bed with a blanket drawn around her thin shoulders. She was beautiful. Roger gently shook her shoulder. Mimi drew in a sharp breath and rolled onto her back. She opened her eyes partially and smiled when she saw Roger.

"I'm leaving with Mark, okay?" Roger asked. Mimi nodded sleepily.

"That's fine. I'll stop by the hospital after work," she mumbled. Roger gave her a kiss.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you too." Roger fixed the blanket Mimi was using and ran his fingers through her hair, which was fanned out across her pillow. It only took Mimi a few seconds to succumb to sleep. Roger kissed her forehead softly and stood up. He had to be the luckiest man on the planet to have Mimi as his girlfriend.

Maureen pressed her lips against Joanne's in a passionate kiss one last time. Joanne squeezed Maureen with all her might.

"I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" she asked as if she were just going to work. Maureen nodded. "Hey, I love you, Honeybear."

"I love you too, Pookie." Joanne squeezed Maureen's hands one last time before leaving with Mark. Roger gave Maureen a comforting hug.

"Don't worry, they'll both be alright," he assured. Maureen leaned against Roger, taking advantage of his rare sign of affection towards anyone but Mimi.

Four hours later, Maureen was spread out across a worn and faded couch in the waiting room on her stomach. Her left arm dangled over the edge of the couch, and she pulled at the loose threads of the carpet. Roger was busy watching cable TV for once in his life. There were a few other people in the room waiting for their loved ones to get out of surgery too. For the most part, everyone kept to themselves. A doctor entered the room. This was a regular occurrence, but the air was still filled with tension and anticipation. Maureen recognized the doctor as Dr. Connors. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Is there anyone here for Mark Cohen?" he asked. Roger and Maureen leapt to their feet while everyone else went back to what they had been doing. "Come with me, please."

Maureen and Roger followed Dr. Connors out to the crowded corridor outside the waiting room. Both eagerly anticipated new on Mark.

"Mr. Cohen is out of surgery. He's a little groggy and sore but otherwise fine. Feel free to go see him."

"What about Joanne?" Maureen asked.

"She'll still be in surgery for a little while longer." Maureen and Roger thank Dr. Connors before going to see Mark.

Mark was lying on his left side facing the door with his eyes closed. He looked odd without his glasses on. Roger cleared his throat. Mark slowly opened his eyes and rolled onto his back.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" Maureen asked as she took a seat next to Mark's bed. Mark groaned.

"Where's Joanne?" he muttered.

"She's still in surgery," Maureen replied. Mark nodded sleepily.

"Do you want your glasses?" Roger asked. Mark shook his head. His eyes slipped closed again.

"Mark? Marky, are you awake?" Mark opened his eyes. He looked around with an unfocused gaze for a few seconds before rubbing his eyes.

"Where's Joanne?" he asked yet again. Roger and Maureen could barely contain their laughter as they looked at each other. Groggy was definitely _not_ the word to describe Mark.

After about an hour, Roger and Maureen returned to the waiting room so Mark could get some sleep. Maureen rested her head against Roger's shoulder and allowed herself to close her eyes and relax. Now that Mark was out of surgery, it was a sign. Soon, Joanne would be out of surgery and this nightmare would be over.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Maureen gently held Joanne's hand in her own. The comforting hum of Roger and Mark's low voices drifted past the thin curtain that separated Mark's room from Joanne's. Maureen felt Joanne's hand twitch. Her head whipped around. Joanne's chocolate eyes were focused on her.

"Hey Pookie, how are you feeling?" Maureen asked quietly.

"A little sore. What time is it?"  
"Eight thirty at night." Maureen kissed the back of Joanne's smooth hand. "Do you need anything?"  
"Water." Joanne's voice was scratchy and quiet. Maureen poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on the table next to the bed. She grabbed a straw and held up the cup for Joanne. Joanne took a small sip. The cool liquid slid down her throat; soothing it slightly. "Thanks."

"Anything else?" Joanne shook her head. "You rest then." Maureen held Joanne's hand until she fell back asleep.

Maureen stopped by Mark's side of the room. As usual, Mark and Roger were talking and joking around like nothing was wrong.

"Is Joanne asleep?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, she's pretty worn out." Roger stood up and patted Mark's leg.

"I'll see you tomorrow, man," he said.

"Yeah, bye," Mark said. Maureen stayed rooted to the floor.

"I'll be right there," she told Roger. Roger nodded and left.

Once Roger was out of sight in the hallway, Maureen leaned over and pecked Mark on the cheek lightly.

"Thanks, Mark," she whispered in his ear. Mark rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I wan only trying to help," he replied.

"Angel would be proud of you." Mark nodded. He felt himself drifting off to sleep. Maureen quickly caught on to this. She said goodbye to Mark and left to go meet Roger in the hallway.

Outside, Roger was leaning against the wall casually with his hands shoved in his pockets. His brows were furrowed in deep concentration.

"Don't think so hard, you may hurt yourself," Maureen joked as she patted Roger's arm. Roger's head shot up. Smirking, he whacked Maureen playfully.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"I'm going to stay here for the night; just in case Joanne needs me." Roger gave Maureen a hug and left to go home to Mimi.

A harsh florescent light flashed through the waiting room. Groaning, Maureen looked at her watch. It was seven thirty in the morning. Maureen flopped back down and tugged the cheap brown blanket from the hospital over her head. Soon, she was fast asleep again.

The next time Maureen woke up, there were a few people scattered around the waiting room. The TV was on, presenting the world with the latest examples of how mankind has digressed. Maureen sat up. She ran her fingers through her unruly hair before standing up. After returning the blanket and pillow to the Nurses' Station, she went down to Mark and Joanne's room to see them.

The curtain separating Mark and Joanne was pulled back. Mark was propped up in bed slowly eating his breakfast. Joanne was lying down watching the news.

"Hey Mark," Maureen said.

"Hi Mo." Maureen went over and gave Joanne a loving kiss on the lips.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, better than yesterday." Joanne entwined her fingers with Maureen's.

"How about you, Mark?"  
"I'm fine, not as bad as I thought I would be." Joanne squeezed Maureen's hand. "Did you sleep here?" Maureen nodded.

"Yeah, there was no point in going home. The couch here is more comfortable than yours at the loft." Mark sneered.

That afternoon, Collins, Mimi and Roger all stopped by to see Mark and Joanne. Unfortunately, Joanne was heavily medicated and pretty wiped. The only upside was the lack of pain she was feeling. The pain medication not only helped with the pain but also made Joanne feel numb. She found it difficult to focus on what Mimi was saying to her. Finally, the Bohemians all left for the day; leaving Mark and Joanne alone in the noisy hospital.

**A/N:** Only one more chapter left.

Tina101


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Mark was sprawled out on his bed on his stomach at the loft. He had been released from the hospital two days earlier. _Never_ had he been so happy to be back at the loft. There was a knock on his bedroom door. Mark rolled over and sat up.

"Come in." Mimi entered the cluttered bedroom and plopped down on the end of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. Mark shrugged.

"Okay, I guess." Mark paused. "Did Collins send you to baby-sit me while he's at work?" Mimi stared at the blankets in front of her.

"You just had surgery, you shouldn't be home alone," she argued.

"I'm fine on my own." Mimi let out a frustrated sigh. Mark carefully stood up. Mimi got up and put a supportive hand on his back. Mark hissed in pain.

"Oh fuck, Mark, is that where your scar is?" Mark nodded shortly. "I'm sorry."

"Its fine, you didn't know." Mimi carefully guided Mark to the main room.

"Now you sit," she ordered. "I'll get you what you need." Mimi gently forced Mark to sit down on the ratty old couch.

"My medicine's on the counter." Mimi got Mark his medicine and water in a chipped mug. "Thanks, Meems." Mimi sat on one of the chairs with her thing legs folded neatly under her.

"Just for the record, Mark, I think that what you did for Joanne was really sweet." Mark took his medicine.

"I only wanted to help." Mimi nodded.

"I would have gotten tested…but with the virus and all." Mark leaned towards Mimi slightly. Her voice was pained.

"Joanne knows that. There are other ways to help her. Mimi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I guess you're right."

Joanne was sitting in a chair in her new room. She was reading a new murder mystery from Collins. The remains of her dinner sat on the table next to her. Joanne was completely absorbed in her latest read. There was a knock on the door. Joanne looked up and smiled.

"Hey stranger." Mark went over and gave Joanne a huge hug.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I feel great."

"I see Maureen's not here." Joanne marked her page and closed her book.

"Nope, I threatened to call security if she didn't go home to get some rest." Mark laughed. "My body hasn't rejected the kidney; the doctor doesn't think that it will."

"That's great!"

"Mark, I wanted to thank you for what you did. Not many people would be so giving if they had a relationship like us." Mark nodded in undeniable agreement. "So…thanks."

"You're welcome." Joanne had tears in her eyes. Mark desperately searched for a box of tissues with no such luck.

"You save my life; very few people can say that about their friends." Mark gave Joanne another hug. This surgery had brought them much closer together as friends.

**The End**

**Thank You, Jonathan Larson**

**A/N:** This story is dedicated to my friend, Stephanie. In middle school, Stephanie was diagnosised with kidney failure. Her own mother donated her kidney so she could live!

Tina101


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